This invention relates to a vehicle compartment latch and more particularly to a power operated compartment latch for latching a vehicle compartment closure, such as a trunk deck lid or a cargo lift gate, in the closed position to secure the vehicle compartment.
Passenger vehicles are normally equipped with a rear vehicle compartment for storing a spare tire and transporting items such as groceries and luggage. A conventional passenger vehicle has a trunk that is closed by a deck lid that is hinged to the vehicle body and swings open to provide access to the trunk. On the other hand, a passenger van has a rear cargo compartment that is closed by a lift gate. The deck lid or lift gate is usually equipped with a compartment latch that cooperates with a striker attached to the vehicle body to latch the closure (e.g. deck lid or lift gate) in the closed position.
In order to open the vehicle closure, the compartment latch must be unlatched or opened. Nearly all installations include a key lock cylinder or some other means for unlatching the compartment latch manually. However, power operated compartment latches that can be unlatched electrically by a switch inside the passenger compartment or by a key fob are becoming very popular.
In the past, power operated compartment latches have required either a reversible electric motor or a massive return spring to restore the compartment latch to an open position after a power unlatching operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,868 granted to Lloyd Rogers Jr., et al Jun. 20, 2000 discloses an improved power operated vehicle compartment latch that does not require either a reversible electric motor or a massive return spring.
This invention provides a still further improved power operated vehicle compartment latch that does not require either a reversible electric motor or a massive return spring to restore the compartment latch to an open position.
The power operated vehicle compartment latch has a support that is adapted for fastening to a closure, a fork bolt that moves between an open position and a closed position, and a detent lever that moves between a detent position and a release position. The detent lever retains the fork bolt in the closed position when in the detent position and releases the fork bolt for return to the open position when in the release position. The detent lever has a release tab and a stop tab. A power unit that is mounted on the support, rotates a wheel that carries an eccentric post that moves in a circular path as the wheel rotates. When the power unit is activated, the eccentric post engages and moves the release tab moving the detent lever to the release position so that the fork bolt can move to the open position. After the detent lever is moved to the release position, the eccentric post engages the stop tab to deactivate the power unit. The stop tab is disabled when the fork bolt and detent lever are moved to the respective closed and detent positions. The vehicle compartment latch is now set for power unlatching.
The power operated vehicle compartment latch is preferably powered by a unidirectional electric motor that is preferably shut off by stalling the electric motor.
The fork bolt and detent lever of the power operated vehicle compartment latch are preferably biased to respective latched and detent positions by a single spring.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.